Of Storm Clouds and Sunshine
by Jezunya
Summary: When Leah finally imprints, it is on the most unlikely of characters... A look into the mind and heart of Leah Clearwater, post-BD, no OC's, all canon.
1. My True Love Gave to Me

Summary: When Leah finally imprints, it is on the most unlikely of characters... A look into the mind and heart of Leah Clearwater. (Post-BD, no OC's, all canon.)

A/N: This takes place just after the end of Breaking Dawn, which ended on New Year's, if you recall. ;)

Disclaimer: None of it is mine, sigh...

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**"Of Storm Clouds and Sunshine"**

**By Jezunya**

**Chapter 1 – My True Love (Gave to Me)**

Leah glared down at the hastily scribbled shopping list in her hand, the thin notebook paper crumpling pitifully along the edge where her fingers clutched it. Looking back up at the shelf, she felt her annoyance grow further, sending a small shudder down her spine. The boxes of Chex-Mix stared back at her, mocking her from their neat little displays left over after the recent New Year's parties across the Olympic Peninsula.

She had _meant_ to write Chex-Mix. She'd actually wanted Chex-Mix when she'd made the list. But, for some unfathomable reason, she had written down _trailmix_, and now that was all she could think of. It wasn't normally party food, she knew, but she really, really wanted some now. And none of that mixed nuts crap. It needed to be peanuts, and raisins, and M&M's. The _good_ trailmix.

The problem? The Thriftway in Forks didn't seem to have any. She'd checked at Lonesome Creek first, the one little convenience store in La Push, and they'd been all out there, which was what had prompted her drive into town. Her forty minute drive along the highway and all the way through downtown Forks. She glared at the offending shelf, scowling especially at the cheerfully stacked boxes of Chex-Mix as she moved down the aisle. Maybe in the health foods section? She didn't even know if this store _had_ a health foods section, but it was worth a try.

After a few minutes' search, she came upon an aisle stocked with granola bars, multivitamins, and muscle milk. Involuntarily, she wrinkled her nose, skimming over the protein bars and shakes and other things guys used for bulking up. Not _her_ guys; they already had almost more bulk than they knew what to do with. And _she_ certainly had no desire to gain any more muscle… But she doubted that kind of stuff would even work on their bodies now.

She walked down the aisle, scanning the shelves carefully. And then – finally – she found it. A few large bags of… mixed nuts. A frustrated growl welled up from deep in her chest, and she had to clench her fists against the tremors that rippled down her arms.

It took her several long seconds, but she did finally manage to get her temper under control. _Just breathe,_ she told herself, _just keep breathing._ This wasn't even that important. She just wanted a little comfort food. Just a little bag of trailmix. That was all. Nothing to freak out about. Really.

Leah finally opened her eyes after a minute, frowning down at the bags of nuts for a long moment before turning on her heel to exit the store. She couldn't afford to be anywhere public if she _did_ lose control.

She made her way across the parking lot and climbed into her family's beat up little sedan, starting the car without bothering with a seatbelt as she shook the drizzle out of her hair. It was getting long again, down to her chin already. She needed to cut it soon, or her fur would be catching on every twig and fern in the forest…

She was ignoring the real issue.

The _real_ issue? She huffed, thinking through the events of the last week as she pulled out of the parking lot. The real issue was that they were _moving_. The whole pack. Bella and Edward had decided to go ahead and attend college in the spring, keeping up the façade of a normal life for Bella's mother and human friends. They'd promised Chief Swan they wouldn't go far, so they were moving up to Seattle to attend the University of Washington. After the recent scare with the Volturi, Jacob wasn't about to let his precious Nessie out of his sight for more than a few hours, so he was going with them – and, despite anything Jake might try to say to the contrary, where the Alpha went, so went the pack.

Leah growled, not even sure what she was so angry about. She was actually going to get to leave home, something she'd written off as impossible after she's started phasing. And the Cullens had even offered to pay for them all to go to school as well. According to Dr. Cullen, Jacob and Renesmee's relationship made them practically family, and uncomfortable as she still was accepting anything from the leeches, she couldn't deny what an unbelievable opportunity it was.

But still…

She didn't want to leave home. It was her _home_. She was born and bred to protect it. They all were. How could they just up and leave like this? Okay, so Sam and his pack would still be here. It wasn't like the rez, or the rest of the peninsula for that matter, would be defenseless…

A voice in the back of her thoughts whispered that maybe _Sam_ was the very reason she didn't want to leave.

She shook her head, squashing that thought as she focused on maneuvering through the small town traffic. No, she wouldn't tie herself down for Sam. That ship had sailed. Or sunk. Burned down, and then sunk. And probably beset with underwater mines afterward.

Maybe she was just worried about her mother. It hadn't even been a year yet since her father had died – died in the course of helping to protect their secret, facing off with the vampire Victoria, she knew now. Her mom knew what she and Seth were really up to, why they were always running out into the woods and hanging around the Cullen place, why she had to go with Jacob and Quil and Embry to Seattle. But still…

Seth would still be here. He was trying to get caught up in school now, at least making a token effort since a traditional high school graduation was still within reach for him, unlike the other boys. He hadn't told their mother yet, but the pack knew he was planning to get his GED this summer along with the rest of the guys, so that he could join them in Seattle in a few months' time. But he would at least be here with her for a little while more. And Chief Swan – Charlie – was always around these days, offering at first a shoulder to cry on, and then a steady friendship, and now…

Lost in her thoughts as she was, Leah almost missed the sign for the camping and hiking store just off the main road. "Yes!" she breathed, darting out of traffic and pulling into the parking lot in front of the store. If anyone had what she wanted, they would.

It was really just comfort food, she reminded herself, shaking her head ruefully as she jogged through the misting rain to the shop's glass front doors. Some girls liked chocolate or ice cream; she had for some reason fixated on peanuts, raisins, and M&M's. The fact that she had no control over anything _else_ at the moment might have had something to do with it too, she admitted. It really just came down to a tug-o-war with the powers that be now – she wanted her trailmix, and she was going to get her trailmix, and no measly grocery store's poor stock was going to stop her from having her trailmix.

She snorted at her own thoughts as she pulled the door open and stepped inside, fluffing her damp hair with one hand rather than fully shaking off like she wanted to. No need to make herself look like even more of a freak while out in public.

The store was brightly lit, the front shelves and cash registers still bedecked with cheery Christmas decorations and fliers for holiday specials. She could hear a few employees moving around in the back, but otherwise the shop seemed deserted. That suited her just fine, she thought, and set out into the aisles, following her nose toward the snack section.

The smell of peanuts and beef jerky slowly grew stronger as she zeroed in on the correct aisle, almost drowned out by the scents of leather, nylon, plastic, steel, and… something else she couldn't identify. She turned her head to sniff at the odd scent trail even as she continued toward the snack section. It tickled her nose, enticing and warm and almost spicy. What _was_ that?

She stopped just as she reached the aisle she'd been looking for, knitting her brows as she breathed in the tantalizing scent, the trailmix momentarily forgotten. It was almost familiar, the name just on the tip of her tongue, just out of reach of her memory. Some kind of cologne she'd smelled before? No… It was… organic, alive… and getting stronger. She'd taken several steps to follow the scent before she even realized what she was doing.

And then he was stepping out around the corner, a few aisles down from her, all pink skin and sandy blond hair and tall, lanky form. She'd been so focused on his scent that she hadn't heard him moving from the breakroom where the other employees still hid. The ceiling fans blew his scent all around her, making it swirl in the air like incense, blocking out everything else.

The trailmix, the move, the store, the rain, the whole _world_ seemed to melt away from her awareness as he came toward her, filling her field of vision, overwhelming all her senses with his presence. It was just like she'd always been told it would be, just like the guys had all talked about – suddenly finding your reason for being, your place in the universe, and knowing that that place was right _here_ with _this_ person. With your _imprint_.

"Can I help you find something?" he asked, stopping a few feet from her, and it was like she'd never heard anything before that moment, certainly never anything as amazing as the sound of his voice.

"Yes…" she breathed, staring at his face, intent on memorizing his features. He was so pale, his eyes a clear, sunny blue, hair like soft, golden straw. She managed to pull her eyes away from his face long enough to glance at his nametag. _Mike_, it said. _Mike_. She liked that name. It was a good name.

"Yes..?" Mike prompted when she didn't continue. Leah blinked. He was watching her with a kind half-smile, waiting for her to answer.

Right. They always told the guys not to act weird around their imprints. Okay, Leah, just don't be a freak. Act normal. Speak. Speaking was always better than wide-mouthed silence. Now, think – what had she come in here for? To find him, obviously, but, no- before that. Originally. What was it? Oh-

"Trailmix," she blurted out, then clamped her mouth shut with a snap. Holy freak show, Batman. "I mean… I was looking for trailmix. Do… Do you carry it here?"

"Uh, yeah, you just missed it, actually," Mike smiled, stepping around her to lead her back to the aisle where she'd stopped a minute before. His scent swept along behind him, engulfing her as he moved past.

_Oh my __**god**__ he smells good!_

She managed to stop herself from leaning forward to fully breathe in the wonderful aroma, instead just following him over toward the snack food. He stopped and turned to face her about halfway down the aisle. "All the trailmix you could ever want," he grinned, gesturing around at the wide variety of bags arranged on the shelves around them. "Did you have a particular kind you wanted?"

"Um…" Did she? There'd been something about buying comfort food, some thought she couldn't quite hang onto anymore, about having something that was solely hers, something no one could take from her, not the vampires or the pack or Sam or anybody…

"Well, this one's by far the best," Mike offered at her hesitation, hefting a large bag from a lower shelf. "Just classic peanuts, raisins, and M&M's. You don't need anything more," he grinned.

Leah accepted the bag, nodding and hugging it to her chest as she stared at him. This was exactly what she'd always wanted. "Thank you." How could one person be so wonderful?

Mike beamed at her in response, then tilted his head, looking at her almost sidelong. "Hey… if you don't mind me asking… do I know you from somewhere?" he asked. "You just… seem really familiar."

"Yes!" she started, then caught herself. "I mean, no. I mean- uh, I think we might know some of the same people?" She tried to think, tried to call to mind any face other than his. If he lived here in town, maybe he would know… "Bella? Chief Swan's daughter? Did you know her?"

Mike blinked, his smile turning just slightly guarded somehow. "Oh, yeah, I know Bella. Do you know that, uh, Jacob kid she was always hanging out with?"

Leah had to give a cryptic smile of her own at that one, feeling a little more in control of herself again. "Yeah, I know Jacob. A little too well, it seems sometimes," she laughed sardonically, then held out her hand to shake his, the large bag of trailmix held easily with one hand. "Leah Clearwater. Born and raised out here in La Push."

Mike took her hand with a smile, stopping suddenly when their skin met. The electricity that blossomed up from their joined hands was everything Leah had heard it would be – and she honestly never, ever wanted to let go of him. But Mike cleared his throat a moment later, smiling abashedly and mumbling an apology about static or something. "Mike Newton. I'm actually from California, and I still have no idea how or why I ended up in this soggy little town."

Leah laughed despite herself – she was fairly certain she knew now what had led him here – and then made herself release his hand before she accidentally gripped too hard and broke his fingers. "See, it's like we're old friends already," she joked.

Mike laughed and nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. "So, um… Can I get anything else for you?"

"Uh…" Anything else? _Anything_ else? "Are… are you doing anything tonight?" she asked suddenly. What was she doing? She'd been trying so hard to be normal, and now here she was just up and asking him out straight out of the blue. But… if he said yes, she could get to spend the whole night with him, by his side… "I, um, I'm going to this twelfth night party at the Cullens' place, and it's just going to be all these guys I grew up with and the Cullens and I'm afraid it's going to be really weird, and I don't want to go by myself, so I was wondering if you'd, um…" She trailed off uncertainly, feeling a flush start to climb her already hot face. So much for not acting weird. She swallowed, knowing there was nothing to do now but push on. "I was wondering if you'd like to go with me," she finished lamely, her attempt at a calmer, more dignified tone falling flat.

Mike blinked down at her, surprised. "Oh… Well, I _was_ going to the movies with some friends… sort of…" She tried to keep her disappointment from showing on her face. "But it's not like it's set in stone or anything," he continued, and Leah felt herself perk back up immediately. "I mean, I can go see a movie any time, right?" he asked, a grin starting to pull at the corner of his mouth again. "It's not every day that it's… um, twelfth night?"

"Twelfth night of Christmas," Leah nodded, smiling shyly.

"Hey, any excuse for a party, right?" he smiled back, and started to turn toward the rear of the store. "Let me just… take care of something real quick," he said, nodding back in the direction he'd originally come from.

Leah followed him back to a little office just off to the side of the breakroom in the back of the store. A couple of teenaged workers were lounging about in the little vending machine infested room, nursing coffee and a candy bar each, and they looked up when she and Mike passed. "Friend of yours, Mike?" the girl called, leaning back like she could see around the solid wall separating the two rooms.

"Yeah," Mike called back. "Hey, could one of you go watch the front, please?"

The girl who'd spoken heaved a heavy sigh, as though that wasn't exactly what she was being paid to do, while her male counterpart grinned, settling more comfortably down in his chair. Leah resisted the urge to roll her eyes at their antics, instead turning to watch as Mike moved around a large, cluttered desk in the middle of the tiny office. The nameplate on the desk's front edge read, _Michael Newton, Sr._

"So your family owns this store?" Leah asked, glancing back up at him.

"Hm? Oh, yeah," he said distractedly, shuffling around precariously stacked piles of paperwork as if looking for something in between them. "I'm sort of the store manager now, I guess. Been helping out here while I was home over Christmas break, but now…" He sighed slightly, shrugged, and shook his head. "Well, my parents really need me to stay. But whatever. Ah!" He finally seemed to find what he was looking for, at last unearthing a yellowed old telephone. "Just one sec," he said, smiling at her as he quickly punched in a number.

The other end of the line picked up after a few rings, a high-pitched girl's voice answering with a bored _Hello?_

"Hey, Jessica…" Mike ran a hand through his hair, swiveling the desk chair back and forth anxiously. Leah kept very still, not letting her face betray her thoughts. _Jessica?_ She could hear the girl's voice go up a few octaves, chattering away excitedly at him about their plans for that evening. "Yeah, hey, how's it going? Good, great… So, um, about the movie tonight… Something just came up, and I'm not going to be able to make it. Yeah. No, no, everything's fine. Just, um…" He glanced back at Leah, and a smile began to tug at the corner of his mouth again. "A friend from out of town stopped by. Yeah, totally unexpected, but, you know, not really something I can pass up. So, uh, I'll see you later?" The girl sounded dejected now… and annoyed. Mike didn't seem to notice. "No, I'm sure Ben and Angela will still want you to go. Why would it be awkward? Yeah. No, no, it's fine. Yeah. See ya. Okay. Bye."

Mike let out a breath as he set the receiver back on its cradle, turning to look up at Leah a moment later. "Well… That's that." He stood, moving out from behind the desk once more. "So… you said this party's at the Cullens' place? You know, I think I've only been there like once before; you're gonna have to tell me how to get there," he said, leaning back against the front edge of the desk.

"Oh, I've actually… never driven there before either," Leah admitted, realizing halfway through how strange that must sound. "I, um, normally just… hike there?" That wasn't much better, if the odd look Mike gave her was anything to go by, but as someone whose family owned a camping goods store, he couldn't really argue with hiking everywhere. "I'll get directions," she muttered at last, defeated.

"Hey, no worries. I just don't have the number for that place," he said, shrugging. "So, what time's the party? I'll come pick you up."

"I live all the way out in La Push," Leah reminded him, smiling slightly. "Maybe I should come pick _you_ up."

Mike laughed grudgingly, shaking his head. "Alright, you got me there. So what time will you be picking me up then, Miss Leah?"

She smiled, feeling an actual blush start in her face. "How does 7:30 sound?"

"Sounds great," Mike beamed, pushing off of the desk to stand straight again. "And tell ya what, why don't I meet you here? My house is an even longer drive from La Push than this place is."

"Alright," Leah nodded, still smiling.

"Alright then," Mike said, clapping his hands together and then pointing at the trailmix bag still balanced on her hip. "I guess we should get that rung up, huh?"

"What? Oh, yeah." Leah followed him back to the front of the store, where the bored-looking teenage girl stood waiting by a register.

"That it for you?" the girl mumbled, ringing the bag through and dropping it unceremoniously into a waiting plastic sack as Leah pulled out her cash to pay.

"Do you want help getting that out to your car?" Mike asked suddenly as the girl handed Leah her change.

Leah looked down at the waiting plastic bag, and for half a second actually considered pretending that it was heavy, if only to spend a little more time with him.

_It's just a few hours_, she reminded herself, and turned back to him, lifting the bag easily with one hand.

"I think I got it. Thanks though," she smiled.

He shrugged, returning the smile. "So…" he said, rubbing the back of his neck again. He looked so cute and bashful when he did that. "I guess I'll see you later?"

"Yeah," Leah said softly. "Later."

Mike waved to her as she exited the store, and didn't move from his spot at the window until she'd climbed back into her car and pulled away.

* * *

She made it out of Forks before she had to pull over.

She pulled the car off onto a wide, graveled strip along a bend in the highway, where the trees began to swallow the road and hide it from view of the rest of the world. Mechanically, she pried her fingers one by one from the worn plastic of the steering wheel, reminding herself not to crush it. Her mother would need the car back in one working piece for work in the morning. Hell, _she_ needed the car to be working _tonight!_

With that thought in mind, Leah launched herself from the vehicle, throwing the door open and clambering out onto the gravel, for once glad she'd made herself wear shoes today.

She stood out in the middle of the shoulder, letting the rain soak into her clothes and hair as it turned from drizzle to downpour. God, she must have looked like such a freak back there, running around in her usual tank top and shorts, the precipitation all but rising off her hot skin as steam. She hadn't even thought about it at the time, she was so focused on him.

Mike hadn't seemed to mind, though. Either he didn't care or he was just too nice to say anything. Either way…

"He's perfect," she murmured, turning her face up into the rain.

Nobody was actually perfect, the logical part of her brain reminded her, but it didn't matter. He _was_ perfect. Or as close to perfect as anybody possibly could be. Because he was her imprint and that was all that mattered in the world.

"My imprint," she breathed, staring up at the clouds. The rain hit her face, washing down her cheeks like tears. She would never get over the sound of that word.

"My _imprint_."

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A/N: This was originally going to be one uber one-shot, but I've instead decided to break it up into chapters. Chapter 2 is being polished up and chapter 3 is almost done, so keep an eye for more soon! :)

Please review, and then come out and play on Twitter! twitter dot com slash Jezunya ;)


	2. Tell Me Where and When and Who to Be

AN: This is so wrong. I love it :D Thank you everyone for the nice reviews! Hope you enjoy this next installment of crack!

Disclaimer: Still not mine.

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**Chapter 2 – Tell Me Where and When and Who to Be**

Leah banged on the screen door on the front of the Black house, trying not to dent it too badly as her fist came down. She stepped back, dancing from foot to foot impatiently, and as the seconds ticked by considered either charging inside without waiting for them to answer or else going around back and breaking in through his bedroom window. Not that she knew where Jake's bedroom was; she was just pretty sure she'd be able to sniff out his stench easily enough. Before she could decide one way or another, though, Billy had opened the door, regarding her through the screen from the seat of his wheelchair.

"Leah," he said, nodding, and reached to push the screen open for her.

"Is Jacob around?" she asked, catching the door as it opened and following him inside. "I need to talk to him."

"He should be in his room," Billy said, wheeling into the hall that led from the kitchen to the rest of the house. "Let me go see…"

"Hey, Leah," a voice called, and she looked over to find Paul sprawled on the couch in the little adjoining living room with one hand raised in greeting. Jacob's sister Rachel was curled up against his side with a book in her hands, which she lowered momentarily to smile at Leah before snuggling closer to Paul. Without looking away from whatever sports game was currently playing on the tv, Paul wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her close.

Leah watched them, bemused. Rachel was a few years older than her, and some five or six years older than the wolf-man-boy-thing beside her, but – it _worked_. There was something so right about them sitting together like that, a rightness that she knew came from the imprinting bond they shared. The strange thing, though: for the first time since she had started phasing, Leah didn't feel at all uneasy – or bitter – seeing a couple like this.

Could that be her someday, sitting there looking so comfortable and happy? Someday soon? _Tonight,_ even?

She was pulled out of her thoughts again by the sound of Billy's wheelchair rolling out of the hall and back into the kitchen. "He's dead asleep, Leah. I think he was out running around most of the night," he said, stopping a few feet from her. "It's not urgent pack business, is it?"

"Um… Sort of," Leah mumbled, and stepped around him into the hallway.

"Leah-"

But she had already reached Jake's door, or what she had to assume was his, from the way his scent clung here even more than the rest of the house, seeping out through the cracks in the doorframe like smoke.

"Jacob!" she yelled, thumping her fist on the door. "Wake up! I need to talk to you!"

She heard a muffled "Whu?!" from inside, what sounded like him falling off his bed, and then a quick scramble across the floor. Jacob yanked his door open a moment later, his hair sticking up on one side and eyes puffy with sleep. His gaze darted around wildly for a moment, and then finally landed on her. "Leah." His eyes narrowed, and he growled. "What. The. Hell."

"I need directions to the Cullens' place," she said matter-of-factly, folding her arms.

Jacob stared down at her blankly, blinking slowly. "What…?"

"I need-"

"Yeah, ya know – never mind," he interrupted, holding up a hand as he brushed past her toward the front of the house, his stomach giving a loud, hungry gurgle.

Leah followed as Jake wandered into the kitchen, yawning a greeting to his father and shooting Paul a sour look before going in search of food. When he emerged from his raid of their small refrigerator, lunchmeat, mustard, and dill pickles in hand, he finally looked back at Leah, regarding her thoughtfully as he set his sandwich fixings on the kitchen table. He continued to watch her as he sat down, opened the package of processed turkey, and shoveled a fistful of it into his mouth, plain.

Leah was just starting to growl impatiently when he finally swallowed, frowned up at her, and asked, "What did you want again?"

She rolled her eyes, baring her teeth slightly as she spoke. "Directions. To the Cullens' place."

Jake paused around his second handful of turkey to look up at her, frowning like she'd said something moronic. "Why? Haven't you been there like a million times?"

"I've never _driven_ there before."

He raised an eyebrow, swallowing again. "What, you afraid of a little rain now or something?"

Leah rolled her eyes. "No. Look, would you just write them down for me?"

"Fine, fine," Jake grumbled, pushing away from the table to grab a pencil out of what appeared to be a bouquet of writing utensils in a jar on the counter. "Rachel, what'd you do with the sticky notes?"

"Top left drawer, Jake," his sister called back, not looking up from her book.

"They're not- oh." He pulled out a bright pink square of sticky paper and started writing, muttering, "Sheesh, she moves home and has to rearrange everything… Ow!" Rachel may not have been able to hear him, but Paul apparently could, if the thrown remote was anything to go by.

"Hmph, you're lucky this didn't break against your rock of a skull," Leah snorted, retrieving the remote from the kitchen floor and tossing it back to Paul, who caught it easily and then went back to ignoring them.

Jacob shot the couple an indignant look, handing Leah the directions. "I still don't see why you're bothering to drive there," he said, sitting back at the table to regard her suspiciously. "Seems like a waste of time and gas money to me."

Leah shrugged, moving back toward the door. "I guess I just figured my imprint would prefer riding in a car rather than on a big, soggy wolf's back." Jacob looked up at her sharply, eyes widening, but she was already out the door.

"Hey!" he yelled after her, giving chase. Jake threw the screen door open, rushing out onto the porch just as she was climbing into her car. "Leah- You imprinted?!"

Leah stopped and looked back at him, a wide smile spreading across her face as she stood in the pouring rain. "See you later, Jake," she said, and slid into the car, leaving Jacob standing on his porch, staring wonderingly after her.

* * *

She went straight to her room when she got home, pausing only briefly to deposit her trailmix and the few other grocery items she'd bought today on the counter in their tiny kitchen. With the long drive out to the rez, and then stopping at Jake's, and then another long drive back into town facing her, she didn't have any time to waste.

She had no idea what to wear. The surreality of that thought barely registered as she flew into her bedroom, closing the door behind her before turning to the little dresser beside her bed. She quickly discarded the idea of wearing any of her usual t-shirts or tanks, shoving the drawer closed again with a disgusted snort. She didn't even bother opening the drawer containing her shorts and cutoffs.

Letting out a long breath, Leah squared her shoulders and slowly turned to face her closet. She regarded it cautiously, as though sizing up a dangerous opponent. Her reflection glared back at her from the closet doors' mirrored surfaces, warped and spotted with age where the glass met the metal edging.

Everything she needed was in there, behind the doors she never opened anymore, the mirrors she barely glanced at these days. Things from a past life, a time of curling her hair and applying makeup, of tight jeans and high heels. Of wondering what to wear to make Sam's breath catch and his eyes widen just so-

No. Not tonight.

Leah clenched her teeth, holding her breath as she stepped forward and pushed the mirror aside.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed in jeans and a deep red top, the once-light garments feeling tight and heavy on limbs more accustomed to freedom and fresh air. It was worth it, though, she decided as she sized herself up once more in the closet door mirror. _Mike_ was worth it.

She couldn't help the idiotic grin that flashed across her face at that thought, at the thought of _him_, of being near him again, of hearing his voice and looking into his clear, blue eyes… It was enough to send butterflies fluttering in her stomach and a giddy shiver up her spine.

_Just one last thing to take care of first,_ she reminded herself, eyeing her hair in the mirror as she took a steadying breath, trying to regain her composure. "The sooner you finish this, the sooner you can see him again," she told her reflection, watching as her eyes dilated slightly at the mere thought. Chewing her bottom lip to suppress another huge smile, she let herself out of her room, darting across the hallway to the tiny bathroom she and Seth shared.

She crouched down in front of the cabinet under the sink, opening the cupboard to find her makeup and hair products right where she'd left them, all but untouched since she started phasing. Maybe even longer, any desire to make herself attractive dying when Sam left her…

She forced the thought out with a growl, thinking of Mike's eyes instead, of his smile, his innocent face. She buried herself in the image, letting the memory of his scent wash over her, calming her nerves and setting the butterfly wings to their frantic beating inside her ribcage once more. She felt a slow smile spread across her face, felt her shoulders begin to relax, and was only half aware of the door opening down the hall and the sound of movement in the house.

She was still crouched on the floor of the bathroom when Seth came shuffling down the hall from his room, clad in an old t-shirt and boxers. "Morning, Leah," he yawned, stopping in the doorway. "You done hogging the bathroom?"

"I've only been in here for a minute," she said, rolling her eyes as she straightened. "And it's evening, anyway. Were you out with Jacob all night?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "We caught a weird scent last night, were trying to track it down." He waved his hand in a gesture for her to hurry up and get out of his way, before pausing as he took in her outfit. "You're… awfully dressed up. Is that for the going away party tonight?"

She winced. _Going away._ How could she have forgotten so easily? The bloodsuckers were calling it a 'Twelfth Night' party – January sixth, twelve nights after Christmas, and supposedly what the song was actually referring to – because Seattle wasn't anything like 'far' by their standards. Hell, China would barely be more than a day trip to them, with their fast cars and private planes. But _some_ people didn't have their own personal collection of sports cars, _some_ people couldn't just mosey back down to old Forks whenever they felt like it, whenever the need to see their imprint grew too painful to stand anymore-

"Yeah. It's for the party tonight," she said flatly.

"Really?" Seth asked, raising an eyebrow. "Isn't that a lot to carry over there?"

"I was planning on driving there," she said, shoving the tub of old makeup back into the cabinet and pushing past her brother through the door.

"What? Why?" Seth asked, turning to follow her with his gaze as she retreated back toward her room. "You're not running with us?"

Leah stopped in her doorway and tried not to latch on too tightly to the slight note of hurt and disappointment in Seth's voice. He actually _wanted_ her to come. Even if it was just a little, even if they both knew everyone would be more comfortable without her in their thoughts – Seth really did sort of want her to be there.

She turned back to him with a small smile, working to hold the sudden wave of emotion at that thought in check. "I met someone today, Seth," she said. She took a steadying breath. "I _imprinted_ on someone."

Seth's eyes flew open wide. "Oh my gosh, Leah!" And suddenly he was just an excited fourteen year old again, a happy, bouncing pup, wagging his invisible tail and grinning from ear to ear. "Is that why you're driving? Is he coming to the party tonight? Do we get to meet him soon? Oh my gosh… Is he cool, Leah? He's gotta be cool. Oh man, I can't wait to meet him…"

Leah almost laughed at his antics, shaking her head and making that particular little growling noise that always accompanied them all mentally shouting _Shut up, Seth!_ His teeth snapped closed at the sound, but he continued to grin widely at her, quivering like an excited puppy. "Yes, he's coming with me tonight," Leah finally answered him, now that she could get a word in edgewise. "And of course he's cool," she added, her tone mock-admonishing. "He's _my_ imprint, after all."

Seth laughed, backing toward the bathroom again. "Wow, Leah. That is so awesome. And to think, he was right here, under your nose all this time." He smiled, genuinely happy for her as only her sweet, kind-hearted, do-gooder little brother could be. "Well, I gotta shower and get ready to go meet Jake and the guys," he said, starting to close the bathroom door. "See you at the party," he grinned, "_both_ of you."

Leah nodded, hesitantly returning his smile until he disappeared inside the bathroom. Once the door was closed between them, she let out a long breath, turning and going back into her bedroom. She fished a pair of simple flipflops out from under her bed, sparing one cursory glance at her hair in the mirror again and snorting at what she saw. Oh well, not like she'd be able to get it to cooperate anyway. Retrieving the car keys and trailmix from where she'd dropped them in the kitchen, she called one last goodbye to Seth, knowing his superhuman hearing would pick it up easily even from inside the shower, and let herself out onto their little porch.

She stood there staring out at the rain for several long moments, the thick clouds making it appear later than it was, as if night was approaching too soon, the end coming before she was ready for it.

She'd finally found him, the _him_ she hadn't even known she'd been looking for all this time. He'd been right here, just a drive down the highway, waiting for her right under her nose, waiting for her to find him.

And she did find him – just in time to leave him.

She didn't worry about her clothes getting wet as she walked out to the car, knowing her werewolf-hot skin would dry them before she even made it out of La Push. She paused just before pulling open the driverside door, her hand on the latch and keys at the ready, and once more turned her face up into the rain. She let the cool droplets wash over her cheeks as she stood there, trying to tell herself that everything would be okay, and wished the rain could wash away the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

* * *

There was a solitary car idling in the parking lot when she pulled up in front of Newton's, its headlights making bright, hazy cones in the pouring rain and reflecting sharply on the store's darkened windows. Leah felt a thrill run through her at the sight – it must be him! – but the feeling was quickly dampened with concern – and guilt.

Had he even gone home yet? She winced, her car grinding to a stop as she pulled up next to him. She'd been so excited to meet him, so eager to spend more time with him, that she hadn't even thought about his needs, about how long he must've been on his feet already today. He hadn't done anything to deserve this, to have his life changed forever, shackled to a half-wolf mutant–

Her thoughts ended there when the engine beside her cut off and Mike climbed out, turning toward her with a blinding smile.

He bounded over to the passenger door of her car, struggling for a second with the sticky latch before she could reach over to open it for him. He was already soaked when he slid into the seat beside her, his pale blond hair flattened against his head and little rivulets of water running down his cheeks. But he was smiling, beaming at her even, and it was suddenly as if nothing else had ever mattered in the entire history of the whole world.

Leah smiled back tentatively, awed by the bright presence beside her.

"So," Mike said, sniffing loudly, "bit wet out."

She laughed, putting the car in reverse and steering them back out onto the road as he mopped at his face and hair with his hands. "I guess I should have brought a towel or something for you, huh? I didn't even think about it, since I-" She cut off, biting her tongue and staring out hard at the road. Since her skin was like a built-in heating and drying system. That's what she'd been about to say. No, not freakish at _all_.

"Since you what?" Mike prompted. One corner of his mouth was pulling up in a crooked smile. Leah had to force herself to concentrate on driving straight. "Since you seem to possess the ability to go out in the rain and yet still look perfect?"

Leah let out a bark of incredulous laughter. "Oh, I am _far_ from perfect, Mike."

"Really?" he asked, raising one eyebrow teasingly. "Could've fooled me."

She laughed again, looking over at him. God help her, but she thought she might actually be _blushing_. Mike smiled back at her, blue eyes sparkling merrily as raindrops still clung to his hair and eyelashes, the curve of his cheekbones. And he thought _she_ was perfect?

"Maybe you just don't know me well enough yet," she said, smiling at him sidelong. "There will be _plenty_ of people at the party who can tell you just how _im_perfect I am."

"Like who?" Mike asked, his voice turning half-serious and one side of his lip curling up, playfully offended by the thought of someone feeling any ill will toward her.

She kept her eyes on the road ahead, on the way the headlights cut through the rain and gloom in front of them, and thought of her pack, her brother, Jacob, the Cullens, Sam… "People who know me too well," she said at last, then looked over at him, the sight of him making her smile despite her thoughts. "You know how it is, small town and all that."

Mike watched her quietly for a moment, a small smile playing around the corners of his mouth, and then said seriously, "I think those are the kind of people that are almost always wrong about you."

She glanced back over at him, surprised. What did she say to that? Mike met her gaze, grinning in earnest again after a moment, and settled more comfortably in his seat. "So who is it? Ex-boyfriend? Disapproving sibling? Childhood friend who knows all your deepest, darkest secrets?" he asked, earning a laugh from her again. "Who am I going to be defending you against tonight?"

"All of the above," she conceded, Mike's ever-present smile infectious as she allowed herself another long look at his face.

"Interesting," he enunciated, drawing the word out and rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefinger like a detective about the crack a case.

"Oh, not that interesting," she replied, her voice deceptively merry. She shook her head – all the miserable things she'd done to the guys over the past year were about the last topic she wanted to talk about with him.

"I just want to know what I'm up against," he said, glancing over at her again with another half-teasing smile. "I can't have anyone going around saying bad things about my date after all."

She laughed once, humorlessly, while simultaneously a delicious shiver ran up her spine at the sound of him referring to her as _his_ anything. "I hope you came prepared for a fight then," she said. _Because there's more than enough Leah hate to go around,_ she thought wryly.

"We're going to the Cullens' place, right?" he asked. At Leah's nod, he smiled confidently, almost knowingly. "I'm pretty sure I can handle whatever they dish out."

His confidence was endearing, if naïve. She shook her head, smiling despite herself. "Let's just hope you're as tough as you think you are, Mike," she said, laughing quietly and thinking of the veritable little shop of horrors that awaited them.

_Freak show, here we come_…

* * *

AN: Please review! Or drop me a line out on Twitter! twitter dot com slash Jezunya :)


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